Wrench having toggle actuated movable jaw and toggle release lever



Nov. 15, 1966 o. KASPER 3,235,107

WRENCH HAVING TOGGLE ACTUATED MOVABLE JAW AND TOGGLE RELEASE LEVER FiledMarch 18, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I r I l '11 "III/'- 71,11,111.

INVENTOR 0 7- 7-0 KA spa-x2 fi 9 ATTORNEYJ Nov. 15, 1966 o. KASPER 7WRENCH HAVING TOGGLE ACTUATED MOVABLE JAW AND TOGGLE RELEASE LEVER FiledMarch 18, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet a INVENTOR- 07'7'0 KASPEK ATTORNEYS UnitedStates Patent "ice 3 285,107 WRENCH HAVING TOGGLE ACTUATED MOV- ABLE JAWAND TOGGLE RELEASE LEVER Otto Kasper, Neumattstrasse 703, Buchs,Switzerland Filed Mar. 18, 1965, Ser. No. 440,784 1 Claim. (Cl. 81368)This invention relates to wrenches, and more particularly to wrencheshaving a fixed jaw and a toggle-actuated pivoted jaw.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide asingle-handed wrench of this character which permits an elastic andflexible working.

Another object of the invention is to provide a release lever within atoggle-type wrench, which lever is not rigidly connected to the togglebut moves only loosely with the toggle lever and limits the deflectionof the toggle joint after having reached the critical point.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description, the appended claim, and the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the wrench in closed position;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line IIII of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 3 is a side view of the wrench in open position.

A wrench shown comprises a handle member 1 formed by two cover platesand being integral with the fixed clamping jaw 2 of the handle 3. Amovable clamping jaw 4 is pivoted on a pin 5 to an adjusted link 7 thatin turn is pivoted on a pin 6 to the handle member 1. The pivotalposition of the adjusting link 7 and thus the pin 5 is variable by anadjusting screw 8. By turning an axially locked nut 9 mounted on thethreaded portion of the adjusted screw 8, the mouth width or grip of theclamping jaws 2, 4 may be made larger or smaller by axially displacingthe adjusting screw 8, whereby adjusting link 7 is angularly moved onthe pin 5. A leaf spring 10 acts on a nose 11 of the adjusting link 7and urges same into abutment against the adjusting screw 8. A togglelever 12 on the one hand is pivoted on toggle pin 13 to the toggle link14 and, on the other hand, is connected to a link 16 through a slidingpin 15. The latter through its other end engages a pivot pin 17 of themovable clamping jaw 4. The sliding pin which is connected to the link16, is guided in a slot 18 of the handle member 1. A pin 19 of thetoggle link 14 is mounted in the two cover plates of the handlemember 1. On pin 19 is pivoted a release lever 20 to the handle member1, which lever comprises arms of unequal length. The curved centersection of the longer arm of lever 20 engages the toggle lever 12 whichis of U-shape cross-section, partly loosely and from the inside, and islaterally guided thereby. The longer arm of lever 20 approxi matelyabuts against the toggle lever 12 when the latter is closed, andprojects rearwardly, i.e. downwardly in FIG. 1, beyond the same, whilethe shorter arm of 3,285,187 Patented Nov. 15, 1966 lever 20approximately abuts against the toggle joint 13 of the toggle link 14.

The toggle lever 12 is thrown back to its open position (FIG. 3) byexerting pressure on the release lever 20 in the sense of arrow a inFIG. 1. The dot-and-dash position of the toggle lever 12 (FIG. 3) showshow in the terminal posit-ion of the release lever 20 the balancedtoggle joint moves away from the end of the shorter arm-of the releaselever 20. On seizing a work-piece W with the aid of the wrench, theclam-ping position of the jaws or, respectively, of the work clampedtherein is automatically maintained, whereby the workers hand isrelieved, thanks to the limitation of the toggle lever 12 after havingslightly surpassed the toggle tilting point (FIG. 1).

While the invention has been described in detail with respect to a nowpreferred example and embodiment of the invention it will be understoodby those skilled in the art after understanding the invention, thatvarious changes and modifications may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention and it is intended, therefore, tocover all such changes and modifications in the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

A toggle-type wrench comprising in combination a handle member having afixed jaw at one end, a movable jaw, a toggle lever system connected tosaid movable jaw and said handle, said system including a toggle leverand a toggle link pivotally connected together, a pivot pin mountingsaid toggle link on said handle, a release lever mounted on said pivotpin, said toggle lever on closing said jaws and slightly surpassingtoggle alignment ap proximately abuts against said release lever andthrough actuation of the latter is restorable to the open position, saidrelease lever comprising two arms of which in the closed position of thetoggle lever the longer arm approximately abuts against the togglelever, while the shorter arm approximately abuts against the togglelever at a toggle joint, said release lever projecting rearwardly beyondthe end of the toggle lever and may readily be used on its projectingend for releasing the clamping position, the center section of thelonger arm of said release lever being curved and engaging partiallyloosely the toggle lever which is of U-shaped cross section.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,436,497 2/1948Snell 8l--367 2,478,728 8/1949 Ward et al 81--367 2,592,807 4/1952 Jones81369 2,966,818 1/1961 Froeschl 81-368 WILLIAM FELDMAN, PrimaryExaminer.

G. WEIDENFELD, Assistant Examiner.

